Up All Night
by ChristyOz
Summary: Betty and Gio unexpectedly collide after being apart for a month. G/B **CHAPTER 4 NOW UP: Betty and Gio get caught in a rain storm at the beach. Later, Betty has an eye-opening encounter that leaves her stunned**
1. Welcome Home

Betty Suarez winced, her nose scrunching upward as the smelly, fat man next to her snored, drooled, and twitched in his sleep. Usually on flights, she liked to take the window seat so she could watch the landscape under her grow smaller and smaller as the plane ascended into the air. She loved how the same crowded streets she walked down daily became a meaningless grid of gray lines. It relaxed her to realize that even New York City was just one small part of the entire world.

This time, though, Betty felt claustrophobic crammed between the window and the flabby snoring man and nervously squeezed her eyes shut, wishing that the plane could just hurry up and arrive at her destination. She wiped her hands on her red skirt and tried to dry her clammy palms while glaring nastily at the guy squished next to her. For the past month, Betty had been enjoying total freedom in Mexico, jumping from town to town and visiting all of the places she'd heard her papí talk about. She had walked barefoot down the beachside cobblestone streets of Puerto Vallarta, toured the Mayan temples in Merida, wandered through the gardens in Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City, took the ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel… all by herself. For the first time in her life, she had truly lived an adventure.

"Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to fasten those seatbelts. We're expected to arrive at JFK International Airport in approximately 15 minutes."

'_Oh no…!_'

Her mind was racing with thoughts. After spending so much peaceful time on her own, she wasn't quite sure how to suddenly throw herself back into her hectic New York life. She pushed her glasses back up on her nose and gripped the armrests hard. What if her family wasn't ok as they had assured her when she'd called them to check in? What if Daniel was having problems at work without her there to help? What if they all totally forgot about her in just one month? What if Gio…

_Gio!_ She sucked in a sharp breath at the thought of him. Her stomach began doing that all-too-familiar 'you're thinking of the sandwich guy's pickle again' dance.

'_Great,_ _I'm going to get an ulcer,_' Betty thought.

Her mind drifted to what his trip to Rome must have been like. That was, if he went at all. Ever since the disastrous softball game, the only contact she'd had with Gio was a pathetic voicemail that she'd left on his phone, explaining that she needed some time alone but hoped that he would still take both tickets that Daniel had provided and enjoy Rome nonetheless. As if that made the situation any better. Betty sighed and pressed her hand against the window as the city skyline emerged through the clouds.

As much as she tried to avoid it during her travels, every time she found a place she loved, she couldn't help but think what it would be like to return to Mexico one day with him to share her experiences. Betty remembered one night specifically that it hit her hard: She was sitting on a beach in Puerto Vallarta, raking sand through her fingers as she watched a couple get married at sunset by the water. It was moments like this when being by herself reaffirmed how much she wanted someone in her life. And who it was that she wanted. She closed her eyes on the beach that night and swore she could smell his scent - the smell of citrus and cologne- enveloping her body. She looked up at the newly married couple by the ocean and wondered if one day she and--

As if on cue, the sleeping fat man beside her unconsciously lolled his head onto her shoulder, sending a large puddle of drool onto her top and interrupting her happy thoughts. "Ew!" Betty whimpered to herself. "Um… excuse me…Sir?" She poked a finger into his pudgy face but instead of moving away, the man grabbed Betty's arm and hugged it like a teddy bear. "Ok, this is kind of really gross," she mumbled. Betty tugged her arm away hard but accidentally ended up elbowing the man in the face, causing him to wake up in an outrage.

"Stewardess!! This… this girl just attacked me! I think she might have tried to mug me in my sleep!"

"What?! I didn't do anything!" Betty exclaimed, her eyes wide. "He was drooling on me and I tried to stop him!" A stewardess came over to size up the situation.

"Sir, are you missing any items?"

"I don't think so, but who knows what she has hidden under that big ass of hers!"

"Excuse you!" Betty angrily exclaimed. "And seriously, didn't anyone ever tell you that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?" The fat man opened his mouth as if to say something but then shut it. The stewardess shook her head and walked away.

With a humph, Betty let her head fall back against the seat and waited for the plane to land. As soon as they had stopped and the annoying fat man had stalked off, she turned on her cell phone and saw that she had a voicemail. Her father's urgent voice flooded through the phone:

"_Mija, I do hope you get this message before you return to the city. Justin fell and broke his leg while he was teaching one of those cheerleading pyramids in gym class this morning. Your sister and I are on our way to the hospital right now. Lo siento, mija, we will not be able to make it to the airport. We should be home by dinner and we are so excited to see you and hear about your adventures! Te amo mucho…_"

She snapped the phone shut and dejectedly moped toward the baggage claim. She really hoped that Justin was ok, but at the same time, she was disappointed that her own family wouldn't be there for her big return. More importantly, she was stuck at the airport with tons of luggage and no way home but a taxi cab, and she just didn't feel like dealing with that kind of near-death experience right now. Betty pulled her suitcase off of the baggage carousel and dragged her massive amounts of bags outside to the taxi line. Standing against the wall, she opened her phone again and scrolled through the list of contacts, pausing over Gio's name.

'_Nope,' _Betty thought bleakly. _'Assuming he used those tickets, he won't even be back for another 5 days_,' she thought, remembering the dates on the travel papers. '_And even if he didn't, he'd be in the middle of the lunch rush right now._ _So much for a sexy airport reunion!_'

"Shut up," she said aloud, arguing with her own thoughts. "It's not like he's magically going to come running at you in slow motion… Things like that only happen on TV! This is reality…"

_Fantasies are fun but you live in reality. It's not perfect, but that doesn't mean it can't be pretty good._

Betty suddenly smiled, remembering the words Gio had spoke to her on her birthday. She smoothed down her skirt and raised her hand to hail the next taxi, refusing to let life get her down.

--

Gio walked through the crowded airport and tossed his bag over his shoulder. He'd arrived home 5 days early after he'd gotten word that his older sister was getting married on the spur of the moment. She was stubborn and he knew better than to talk her out of it, so he simply traded in his ticket and headed home for her wedding. Gio fumbled in his pocket for his keys and headed toward the parking lot where he'd left his van almost a month ago.

And then he saw her. He didn't know why she was here at this exact moment, but he was too awestruck to care. She was standing outside and the June breeze was blowing her red skirt gently against her bare legs. Her hair hung in shiny waves down her back and she'd started to grow her bangs out. She was wearing a black off-the-shoulder top and when she raised her arm to hail a cab, he couldn't help but gaze at every inch of sunkissed skin from shoulder to fingertip. Simply stated, she took his breath away. Out of all the beautiful things he saw in Italy, he couldn't think of a more perfect sight than this.

Gio quietly slipped out the glass doors and walked up behind her. He stood silent for a second and bit his lip, staring at her hair grazing her shoulders. His heart pounded in his chest as he leaned close to her to speak.

--

Betty adjusted her glasses as a taxi pulled up to the curb in front of her. Suddenly, just like that night on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, she _swore_ she could smell him- the scent of citrus and musky cologne flooded her senses. She shook her head and whispered to herself, "You're crazy."

She shivered as she felt a warm breath on her neck. "What's that, B? You're crazy without me?"

Betty was so startled by the familiar voice that she dropped her purse and the contents went flying across the sidewalk. She turned around slowly, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, coming face to face with the man that made her legs feel like a big bowl of jiggly flan. And what a man he was.

"How long have you been standing there?" Her voice rose to an unnaturally high pitch.

"Long enough to know that wherever you've been has done a body _good_." He gave her a mischievous grin and eyed her up and down.

She felt the need to whack him for his pervy comment but was still too shocked to move, unable to comprehend how he ended up here at this exact moment.

"Well, Suarez? Aren't you going to properly welcome me home?" He raised his eyebrows and stretched his arms out in front of him.

"Um, maybe you should be welcoming _me_ home," she replied with a shy smile.

She still didn't realize that tampons, her Hello Kitty zippy wallet, a condom, and her retainer were strewn on the sidewalk below them.

"How about we both do a little welcoming then?" He stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. Betty walked into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and burying her head in his shoulder. "Nice to see you back in town," he murmured in her ear. Gio slid one hand down to the curve of her hip and tenderly rubbed her lower back. They melted into each other, both enjoying the warmth of the other that they'd missed so much. He rested his chin on the top of her head and inhaled the smell of her hair, beginning to get turned on by the fragrance. After a few moments, he felt her body tremble and he tilted her chin up to find that she had started crying.

"Woah, Betty, what's the matter here?"

"Nothing… I'm fine. I'm great, I'm fine!"

"Betty, come on, what's wrong?" he asked softly. She looked up and saw nothing but affection and concern in his eyes.

"It's nothing really," she started, not able to express the flood of emotions that had hit her all at once. "It's just that I'm really shocked to see you…here…now… like this," Betty sniffed and fiddled with the hem of his black t-shirt.

"More."

"And I kind of… Well, I accidentally punched this guy on the plane and then I got a message that Justin hurt himself in cheerleading, so my family's at the hospital with him instead of here with me, and I know that sounds selfish but I was really looking forward to having them meet me here and--" Gio held a finger up to her lips and silenced her rambling. He pulled his keys from his pocket and pointed toward the parking lot.

"How about we get outta here? Although on the way home I'd love to hear more about this punching thing. I never thought you'd be the kind who liked to play rough."

Betty rolled her eyes. "Ew, Gio." He looked over at her and saw that she'd stopped crying and cracked a tiny smile.

"Here, let me just get this stuff first…" Gio squatted down to pick up the objects from her purse that were scattered on the ground. Betty was too distracted by staring at his ass while he bent over to realize what exactly he was picking up. Suddenly he stood, holding a tampon in one hand and the condom in the other. A conceited smile spread across his face and he raised his eyebrows excitedly.

"Heyyy, impressive! Betty Suarez: A woman prepared for _all_ occasions!"

"Oh my God, Gio! It's not what you think! Gio, give those back…!" He teasingly held the mortifying items above her head as she tried to jump up and reach them. The more she jumped, the more her off-the-shoulder top sunk down, giving Gio his first view of cleavage which she usually kept hidden under sweaters. The more cleavage he saw, the more he made her jump. People were slowing down on the sidewalk to look at the commotion.

"Gio, you put those back in the purse right now or I swear, I'll hurt you in ways you _never_ knew possible!!" They'd only been around each other a few moments and she was already prepared to slaughter him.

"Mmmm, kinky, B, very kinky," he laughed once more as he dropped everything back into her purse. God, he loved it when she got feisty. Finally getting ready to leave, he picked up his bag in one hand and pulled her suitcase with the other.

"Who needs dignity anyway!" Betty threw her hands up in defeat. She gathered her remaining bags and followed Gio to his van. "So…"

"So…"

"Looks like you used those tickets to Italy, huh?"

He nodded. "One of them."

Betty exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. "Good, no tramps," she said under her breath.

"What was that, Suarez?"

"Uhh, I said.. good, no more cramps!" She rubbed the side of her stomach in fake pain.

Gio wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "Riiight."

"Yeah, anyway… What made you come back early? Your flight home was supposed to be 5 days from now."

Gio sighed heavily. "My older sister, Pia..." he broke off and shook his head in disappointment. "She decided a few days ago that she wanted to get married. And she can't wait. She _has_ to do it this weekend. So, here I am. I haven't even met the guy yet to decide if he needs to be taught an old-fashioned lesson in Italian family values, you know what I mean?" He groaned as he lifted Betty's suitcase into the van. "Geez, Betty, what do you have in this thing? The entire Trojan display case?" He cocked his head and winked at her. "If so, I might need to work on my stamina!" She gave him the evil eye and violently shoved her carry-on bag into his chest, sending him stumbling backwards, before hopping into the passenger seat.

Gio finished loading their luggage into the van and started the engine. "Now it's time for _me_ to ask the questions," he said in an eager voice. "Where the hell have _you_ been the past month? Last I heard from you, you ditched me to go have some 'alone time.'" He gave Betty a sarcastic, smug smile. Gio knew for certain that she didn't ditch him, but he loved to push her buttons and get her fired up.

"I did not _ditch_ you!" she snapped.

"Oh yes you did!" He glanced over and gave Betty his best puppy dog face.

"No, I didn't!" Her voice rose to a shrill level and she let her head fall against the window in frustration.

"Yeah you did!"

"Gio, I was in MEXICO!" she finally exclaimed, looking totally exasperated. "I just needed some time away to figure out what I wanted to do with my life!"

His expression suddenly became serious, realizing that although they'd just had a friendly enough encounter at the airport, that didn't mean she had chosen to be with him in the long run. "Well, Betty, did you find what you were looking for?"

She opened her mouth to speak but the air caught in her lungs and she could only sit silently and watch Gio as he drove. Betty knew exactly what he was asking but wasn't yet prepared to expose the feelings she'd unearthed while she was in Mexico. Yet at the same time, she knew that facing those emotions was part of becoming who she needed to be.

Finally, Betty gulped and timidly reached over to place her hand on top of Gio's which was resting between them. He looked over with wide eyes, surprised that she initiated such intimate contact. Betty soon felt his fingers clasp around her hand, his thumb tracing little circles on her palm.

"Sometimes you have to leave everything behind to realize what it is you can't live without," her voice cracked. Her stomach was churning so violently that she thought she might throw up. "Everything I need is right in front of me," she added shyly, feeling her skin radiate with heat as she said the words she was so scared to admit.

Gio practically swerved off the road as he comprehended what she was saying. He glanced over at her and their eyes locked upon each other. He wanted to say something to convey the bubbling happiness soaring through his body, but he didn't trust words to properly convey what he felt. Instead, Gio smiled to himself and gently squeezed her hand in his as they drove the rest of the way in perfect silence.


	2. Delicacies for Betty

_A/N: If any of you watched FR in Scrubs, you might notice a particular word in this chapter that he threw around when he guest starred as Marco :)_

Gio pulled up next to the Suarez home and turned off the engine of his van. He looked over at Betty and gestured toward the house. "Well, here it is. Still standing, even without you here to keep everything in line."

Betty's eyes swept over the row houses that lined her street as the evening sunlight flickered through the trees. "Yeah, here it is," she echoed, her voice soft and low. "And they're still not home," she added, noticing that her sister's car was missing from its usual parking spot on the curb.

"Want me to come in and wait with you?" Gio offered. "We can pass the time by playing 'what's in Betty's purse' again," he joked as a smug grin spread across his face.

She glared back at him. "I hate you right now. A lot."

"How's that different from any other time?" Gio scoffed. His chocolaty eyes drifted slowly over her face, pausing to stare at her parted lips. He looked at her expectantly.

Betty pushed her glasses back up on her nose and looked awkwardly back at Gio, not quite sure how to say goodbye to him. Was this it? Were they officially dating now thanks to her confession on the drive home? Were they still stuck in that 'more than friends but not really dating' phase? "Well," she started to open her door. "Thanks for bringing me home--"

She halted as she felt Gio's hand on her arm, his fingers delicately gliding upward over her skin until his hand came to rest behind her head. "I'm not going to let you say goodbye that easily, B," he spoke in a low, thick voice. She searched the expression on his face as he moved closer, detecting the fiery look that was filling his eyes. Suddenly, Betty found herself unconsciously leaning toward him as he stroked the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes as he lowered his head and brushed his lips across her own. Betty instinctively let out a small sigh of pleasure and opened her mouth to his, feeling him begin to tease her bottom lip between his.

And then it happened. Her stomach let out the longest, most thunderous growl _ever_. The rumble was so violent that it was almost deafening. As if her body could have picked a more inconvenient time. Betty felt her face flush a bright crimson and she pulled away from him. "Sorry, apparently I'm a little hungry," she whimpered in embarrassment.

Gio sighed. He rested his forehead against her own and exhaled heavily.

"Betty," he murmured, his voice slightly frustrated. "When's the last time you ate something?"

"Umm… yesterday?" she replied innocently.

"That's it," he said, opening his door and springing into action. "I'm getting you food. Right now."

"Uh, where?" she replied, obviously puzzled.

"Your kitchen. You need to eat."

Betty followed him outside where he was already pulling her suitcase from the back of the van. "Gio, I'm fine, I promise. You've already done enough for me as it is." She continued to protest as he gathered the rest of her bags.

He shook his head. "Nah, it's about time that you have one of Gio's delicacies."

She scrunched her nose and narrowed her eyes at him, considering the statement as yet another innuendo. He stared blankly back at her. "What?" he blurted, raising his eyebrows. "I'm not going to let my eater go hungry!"

Betty sighed as Gio walked up the pathway to her house and waited for her to open the door. She couldn't help but let a small smile cross her face as she trailed behind him. She just couldn't get rid of this guy.

Not that she'd ever want to.

--

"If I were Betty Suarez, where would I put the cheese grater?" Gio asked himself as he searched the Suarez kitchen, opening and closing cupboards like a madman.

"In the cabinet below the sink!" Betty shouted, overhearing him talk to himself in the other room. She was kneeling on the living room floor digging through her open suitcase, wildly throwing clothes all over the room.

"You ok in there, B?" Gio asked, poking his head around the doorframe between the kitchen and living room.

"Yeah," she replied absentmindedly, concentrating on finding what she was looking for. Finally she uncovered the thin, square cardboard box that had been carefully packed at the bottom of her suitcase. Betty peeked inside one end of the box to make sure nothing had broken on the way home from Mexico. Seeing that everything was in one piece, she held the box behind her back and walked into the kitchen, tapping Gio on the shoulder as he was pouring sauce over a pot of noodles. He turned and she held the box out to him. "For you," she said shyly, handing him the gift.

Gio's eyes widened and his face broke into a huge grin, almost like a little kid on Christmas. He ripped open the box and pulled out a large painting framed in glass.

"I had it made by a street vendor in Mexico City," she said proudly. "Do you like it?"

His eyes scanned over the image. "Gio's Deli" had been painted in the center in bright red lettering and an Italian flag filled the background. And because it wouldn't have been the same without it, there was a big pickle with a smiley face along the bottom. Gio felt his heart swell. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had done anything this special for him.

"It was really funny asking the painter to draw a smiling pickle in Spanish. Un encurtido con una cara sonriente," she translated. "Anyway, I thought you could hang it up. You know, you really could use some new decorations in your deli," she continued to ramble, still waiting for him to say something in response. "Gio? Uh, hello?"

Gio finally looked up at her, his eyes hazy. He cleared his throat, refusing to let his emotions show. "Thank you," he said simply, pulling her into a hug. "You'll get yours later."

"Ooh I get a souvenir, too?" she chirped.

He nodded. "You could call it that." Gio turned back to the pasta he was cooking on the stove. "Hey do me a favor-- Taste this and see if it's hot enough." He lifted a noodle to her mouth and she sucked it between her lips, leaving a drop of sauce around her mouth.

"Mmm it's perfect."

Gio smiled and bit his lip at the sight of her.

"What?"

"Nothing, you just have a little sauce here..." He started to reach up to her face but she beat him to it, using her tongue to trace around her lips, deftly licking the sauce away from her own mouth.

Gio didn't know if she was purposely trying to turn him on, but with that gesture, she'd managed to do it. He thought for a millisecond that if he touched her the way he wanted to touch her, he might end up getting slapped again, but the voice in his head told him _'screw it.'_ That was a risk he was going to take.

Before Betty knew what was going on, Gio had grabbed her fiercely around the waist, kissing her with an intensity she didn't even know existed. She let out a cry in shock. There was nothing friendly about his kiss; it was the behavior of someone who had stored months and months of pent up desire. His hands snaked up her back, pressing her closer to his body as he moaned into her lips.

Surprisingly, there was no slap. Instead, he felt Betty wrap her arms around his neck and melt into his hold. He walked her backward until she was pinned up against the refrigerator. She gasped for air as Gio's mouth moved away from her lips and left a fiery line of kisses down the edge of her jaw. He nuzzled his lips in the hollow of her neck, teasing the soft skin between his teeth while he instinctively pressed his hips into hers.

Their breathing had become so heavy that neither heard the door to the house open and close.

--

"I feel so bad that we missed Aunt Betty at the airport," Justin said while he staggered through the front hall on his crutches.

"Yeah, well you think of that the next time you climb on top of a pyramid of 10 girls, ok?" Hilda retorted, wobbling as she carried a big welcome home cake for Betty in her hands. Suddenly, Hilda stopped in her tracks and sniffed the air. "Papi, did you put something in the oven before we left? It smells like someone's been cooking up a storm in here!"

"Yes mija, obviously I had time to start dinner while my grandson was being rushed to the emergency room," Ignacio said sarcastically.

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Geez, Papi, just asking. Maybe Betty beat us home and cooked something?"

Ignacio nodded. "Betty! Mija, are you home?" he called as he walked toward the kitchen.

--

"What did you just say..?" Betty asked shakily as Gio teased her earlobe with his lips. She swore someone had just called her name. Then again, her senses weren't exactly the best right now. She was so delirious that she didn't even know what day of the week it was anymore.

"I didn't say anything," he whispered into her ear, his breath coming in short, raspy gasps.

"But..." Betty was cut off as Gio tangled his fingers in her hair and placed his mouth over hers, leading them into another deep kiss. She was practically writhing between his body and the refrigerator.

"Mija, are you in there?"

_...Papi!!_

Betty's eyes flew open. She pushed Gio away and stared at him in horror. "My dad's home!!" she whispered in a panic. "Oh my God!" She frantically smoothed down her hair and straightened her top. "Get over there!!" Betty squealed, shoving Gio to the other side of the kitchen where he stumbled into the kitchen table just as Ignacio, Hilda, and Justin walked into the room.

"Betty!!" all three of them cried as they ran over to her and smothered her in one massive hug.

Gio awkwardly stood by the table and watched the family reunion, still recovering from his encounter with Betty.

It suddenly occurred to her that her skin was flushed, her lips were swollen, and she reeked of Gio's cologne. "Um, it's so good to see you all!" Betty finally exclaimed, trying to ignore her family's curious stares as they saw Gio standing across the room.

"We brought you cake, but it looks like you already had dessert," Justin said as he gave Gio that "oh-no-you-didn't" look.

Betty glared at her nephew as Gio looked down at his feet and tried to hold back a laugh.

"Ay Betty, where'd you drag this zángano in from?" Hilda grinned and gestured toward Gio.

"Hilda, be nice! He might know what that means," she replied.

Gio nodded jokingly. "That's me, the... Wait. What did you call me again? Zángano?" He shrugged off the comment and then held out his hand to Ignacio. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Suarez."

Ignacio shook his hand slowly as he looked back and forth between Gio and Betty. He wrinkled his forehead, confused. "Mija!" he demanded, suddenly alarmed and angry. "Were you in Italy with this boy when you told us you were in Mexico?!"

"No!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. "Papi, really, we just ended up coming home from our trips at the same time! We kind of, you know... ran into each other while I was waiting for a taxi," Betty explained.

Ignacio took an assertive step toward Gio. "I'm assuming you brought my daughter home today?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

Betty shifted nervously as her father continued to size Gio up.

Ignacio looked over at the pasta sitting on the stove. "And it was you that made dinner?"

Gio nodded politely.

"Then what are we doing standing here?" He slapped Gio on the shoulder and cracked a stiff smile. "¡Comamos!"

--

After hours of eating, sharing travel stories, and watching TV, Betty and Gio sat outside on the front stoop, relaxing in the night air before finally parting ways.

"Well, today was eventful!" Betty mused.

"Yeah, for a minute there I thought you were going to have to scrape my dead body off your kitchen floor," Gio laughed. "Does your dad keep guns in the house?" he asked, only half teasing.

"Yeah but don't worry, he ran out of bullets from the days when Hilda was dating Santos."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind," he said, staring straight out at the road. He got a bemused look in his eyes as he recalled the events of the day. He smirked to himself as he remembered picking up the condom from Betty's purse at the airport. There was definitely a whole other side to her that he was just now beginning to unearth. Suddenly be broke into a huge grin. "This time, Suarez, you really did french me good. _Reaaal good_." He pointed a finger at her. "And don't you dare argue with me about that!"

Betty shoved him in the shoulder and blushed. Never in her life had she kissed a man the way she'd kissed Gio today. Thinking back on it, she was both terrified and exhilarated by the feeling.

"So..." he continued. "My family's having a dinner party for my sister on Thursday night before her wedding this weekend. Think you could deal with the Rossi family long enough to come along?"

Betty raised an eyebrow and looked at him blankly. "If they're anything like _you_, I don't know."

"So that's a yes! Good, I knew you couldn't turn down a date with me." Betty rolled her eyes at his blatant arrogance. "I'll come get you at 7." He leaned in to kiss her but Betty placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Wait." She twisted around and glanced at the living room window just in time to see Hilda and Justin duck down out of sight, trying to hide their all-too-obvious eavesdropping.

Betty sighed. "I think we have an audience."

Gio couldn't care less who was watching them, but he knew better than to make Betty feel totally uncomfortable in front of her family. Instead, he tilted her chin so they were both sitting face to face. Without looking away from her, he reached down and lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it. The warm sensation of his mouth on her skin made her shiver.

He stood and began to walk down the steps, remembering that the last time they'd been in this exact spot, he had finally let her know how he wanted to be her one and only. Now that concept was no longer just some delusional dream for him. It was becoming reality.

"Goodnight, Betty."

"Wait, Gio?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For...?" He looked at her quizzically.

_'For being the guy. My __guy... My Gio,'_ she thought silently.

"Just... for waiting for me," she said softly.

Gio smiled. "Patience, B. I've got a lot of it." He turned and walked toward the street.

Betty sat there motionless, watching as he drove away until she could no longer see the red tail lights of his van gleaming in the darkness. She was glad at least one of them had patience because for her, Thursday night couldn't come soon enough.

TBC


	3. Family Ties

_A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long to post… I wanted to write chapters 4 and 5 as well before I published this one to make sure I liked where the story was going! Those chapters will be up soon, too, after I edit them. Also, I've slightly changed one little plot line from the way it's been told on TV. You'll know it when you see it. Thanks for reading & hope you enjoy it!_ :)

"Uh, guys, I'm not sure this is the first impression I want to make…"

Betty stood in a dressing room at the trendy Henri Bendel department store on Fifth Avenue wearing a body-hugging red tube dress. She grimaced at her reflection in the mirror as Hilda and Christina stood behind her, sizing up each outfit she tried on.

"Ay, Betty, it's sexy and fun! And colorful!" Hilda enthused about the dress she had picked for her sister to try on.

"And Gio's mom will think I'm one of the girls from the 'Hole Lot of Fun' strip club!" Betty sighed heavily in frustration. "Who meets someone's parents on the first date anyway?!"

"It must be serious," Hilda teased as an amused grin appeared on her face.

"Shut up," Betty shot back. "It's just Gio."

Hilda smirked. "Chica, I don't think it's been 'just Gio' for a while now..."

Christina nodded in agreement. "He's been following her around Mode since before Christmas. Everyone knows it's not just sandwich meat he wants to give her!"

"Christina!" Betty scolded, her cheeks burning a bright crimson.

"I know, right?" Hilda laughed. "If Justin, Papi, and I hadn't come in the kitchen the other night when we did, Betty and Gio would've totally--"

"Is this really necessary?!" Betty interrupted. "As much as I love you two talking about me like I'm not here, I still have absolutely nothing to wear to this dinner!"

"Well, definitely not that," Christina critiqued, shaking her head at the red tube dress Betty still had on. "Try this one on next," she said as she pushed an ivory halter dress into Betty's hands.

"You know I don't wear white," she started to protest.

"Well, you do now!" Christina said as she shoved Betty back into the dressing room and slammed the door behind her.

Christina and Hilda waited for the familiar sound of Betty groaning at yet another unflattering outfit but were instead met with curious silence. "This one's not so bad," she finally said, opening the door to the dressing room. She spun around and the ivory fabric flowed flawlessly around her curves.

"That's bloody gorgeous!" Christina breathed.

"Mmm, Betty, you could do some serious damage in that," Hilda nodded in approval.

"Really? You think it looks good?"

"Your sandwich boy's going to be all over you like turkey on rye!" Christina exclaimed.

Betty rolled her eyes in exasperation and looked down at the price tag on the dress. Her eyes bulged. "Oh my God... Is this someone's phone number? Or is this really the price of this dress?"

"Oh shush! I told you, it's on Mode," Christina said as she pulled a shiny black credit card from her purse. Betty flinched as her bittersweet feelings toward Mode came to mind. Now that she'd come back from Mexico and Daniel was gone, Claire had decided to keep her on as an assistant writer. She was excited about the opportunity but felt bad about benefiting from a company that had fired someone who was such a good friend to her. And to secretly use the Meade's money for a dress...

"Betty, I know what you're thinking," Christina started. "But you need to bloody stop it. The Meades are bazillionaires and they spend more money than this on hookers and sex changes! Now put your clothes back on and hurry up. I'm having mad cravings for chocolate and pastrami."

Betty turned back toward the mirror and smiled. It really was the perfect summer dress. After she'd changed back into her clothes, they all walked up to the café so Christina could satisfy her pregnancy cravings. While Christina and Hilda waited in line, she wandered over to the lingerie department, browsing through shelves of silky La Perla underwear.

"Look at her," Christina mumbled. "Now she's shopping for what goes _under_ the dress!"

"Who knew my baby sister would be such a heartbreaker?" Hilda mused.

"She's going to break more than just hearts with those panties she's picking out!"

Christina and Hilda watched as Betty looked suspiciously to the left and right before grabbing a white lacy thong and rushing to the nearest cashier. They both shook their heads in disbelief. There was no denying it: the girl had it bad for the sandwich guy.

--

Gio walked over to the passenger side of his van and opened the door for Betty. He exhaled heavily and looked down at his feet as she hopped out of the vehicle. Gio knew from the start that the entire night was going to be a battle of self-control when he'd watched her come down the stairs of her house wearing that little white dress. One thing was certain: It sure beat the hell out of those sweater things she always had on. Using his male expertise, he was pretty sure she even had some fancy underwear on underneath the dress, which didn't do much to help his self-control problem. Despite her looking the way she did, he could tell that she had absolutely no clue how beautiful she was. And in his mind, there was nothing sexier than a woman who was completely breathtaking and didn't even know it.

Gio took Betty's hand in his and lead her up the sidewalk to the Rossi's brownstone. "Okay," Betty began. "Let's see if I have it all straight. Your Aunt Elena is deaf in the left ear so when I talk to her, I need to be standing to her right. Your Uncle Leo hates the Red Sox so if baseball comes up, I'll pretend to be a Yankees fan. Your brother Rocco is a perverted frat boy so I shouldn't be surprised if he talks to my chest instead of my face. And whatever I do, I shouldn't stare at your mom's bald spot."

"Good job, Suarez. Did you make flashcards or something?" he joked.

Betty suddenly stopped walking and tugged on Gio's hand. "Hey, I have an idea!" she said nervously. "It's such a warm night out, so how about we go get ice cream instead? No one will even notice that we didn't come!"

"Betty, stop worrying. They're just my relatives. They're even stupider than me, if that's possible."

She ignored him completely and continued her anxious rambling. "Or we could go to that new restaurant you were talking about--"

"You either walk in that house with me on your own two feet or I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you in. Your choice."

Betty looked up at his pleading eyes and let out a sigh of defeat. "Okay, okay…"

Gio couldn't help but laugh to himself at how nervous she was about meeting his weirdo family. She looked so damn cute when she was all flustered and on edge. He pulled her close to give her a quick kiss before going in. The front door suddenly swung open and Antonella stood in the entryway, looking blankly at Gio and Betty in their embrace.

"Mom, Dad, Braces is here with Gio! They're like making out on the front porch!" Antonella yelled as she turned and walked back into the house, leaving the front door hanging wide open.

Betty's face smoldered in embarrassment. "Well, this is a great start to the evening!" she said sarcastically as she followed Gio into his family's house, already crowded with his relatives. Almost immediately, two little twin girls ran up to Gio and wrapped themselves around each of his legs.

"Betty, these little rats are my cousins, Tessa and Bianca. Can you girls say hi to Betty?"

Instead of greeting Betty, the girl attached to Gio's left leg pointed up at him and yelled, "Gio's got a fat head!" The twins giggled furiously at him before running off.

Betty put a hand over her mouth and tried to stifle her laughing. Gio looked back at her and raised his eyebrows. "Looks like my 3-year-old cousins are almost as feisty as you, B," he said as he began walking toward the kitchen.

She elbowed him in the stomach as she walked beside him down the hall. "I am not _feisty_."

"Don't kid yourself. You're as feisty as they come. And so is this woman over here." He nodded toward a short, dark-haired woman cooking intently over the stove. There was no question in Betty's mind that it was Gio's mother.

"Mamma! Suo bel figlio è a casa!" Gio arrogantly called to her. The woman turned around and smiled that familiar Rossi grin.

"If your ego gets any bigger, it won't fit in the house," his mother laughed, giving Gio a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. She pulled away and held him at arms length, narrowing her eyes at his stubble. "Che macello! Gio, you need to shave! I always tell him to shave but he never listens to me!" she explained to Betty with a sigh. "She'll never kiss you with cheeks like that!"

"Uh, riiight. Betty, this is obviously my mom, Mona. Mamma, this is Betty."

"Hi, Mrs. Rossi, it's so nice to meet you!" Betty coyly said, holding out her hand. Mona Rossi brushed away her hand and instead greeted Betty by kissing both sides of her face.

"Betty, we're so glad that you could come tonight. Gio's so happy to have finally found a girl who eats! He's been talking for months now about how much you come into his deli. After all those sandwiches, I was expecting him to bring home a girl who was as big as a horse!"

"Well, yeah, that's Gio's deli for you!" Betty said, her nervousness causing her to be overly-cheerful. "He always keeps you coming back for more!" She regretted her choice of words as soon as they slipped out of her mouth. Luckily, Gio's mom kept smiling as brightly as ever, so Betty figured the accidental innuendo went over her head. She glanced to the side and quickly glared at Gio who was looking smug.

All of a sudden, an eye-catching woman with long, brown hair and olive skin barged through the kitchen, practically taking out everyone in her path while she screamed into her cell phone.

"There goes Bridezilla," Gio said as he watched his sister angrily plow through the kitchen. "Maybe now's not the time to introduce you to Pía," he said to Betty, puzzled why his sister was acting so irritated on the night of their family's celebration of her getting married. Gio turned toward his mother. "What's her problem?"

Mona Rossi's face fell a bit. "Oh, that fiancé of hers… He's a workaholic. He called earlier and said he'd be a little late. He just started up a community development project over in Brooklyn and hasn't been around as much as Pía wants. And you know your sister-- she has no patience!"

Betty watched as Gio sucked in a sharp breath. He clenched his jaw tightly and balled his fists at his sides. It was official: he was entering protective brother mode.

"Then why's she marrying the asshole? He can't even be bothered to show up on time for the dinner before his own wedding?" Gio's mind raced with all the things he would do upon meeting the guy who was causing his sister to be so upset. "Sounds like he needs to be reminded how we do things in this neighborhood--"

"Giovanni Rossi, you know better than to speak like that in this house!" his mother reprimanded. "Your father and I've met Pía's fiancé quite a few times now and aside from his work schedule, he's been wonderful to her. Amore, you have to remember, your sister's not a little girl anymore. She has good judgment and can make decisions for herself." Mona Rossi shook her head and looked at Betty. "I don't know what we're going to do with him when Antonella starts to date!"

"Hey, it'll be a good 10 years before that happens," Gio said matter-of-factly.

"Gio, she's already thirteen," Betty responded in disbelief.

"Exactly. Twenty-three is a good age to start dating."

Both Betty and his mother stared back at him with incredulous faces.

"What?!" he blurted. "Why do you think I chaperoned Nella's school dance back in May?"

"He's hopeless," Mona declared. "Anyway, I better feed all these people before they get too drunk off wine and cocktails to eat! Amore, why don't you take Betty to meet your father and brother? They're wandering around here somewhere…" She politely kissed Betty's cheek once more. "We'll talk more after dinner, Betty, without this crazy one hanging around," she said, gesturing toward her son.

"Ah, you don't want me around. That means you're going to be talking about me." Gio's eyebrows rose as he smiled his cocky smile.

"Yes, and naked baby pictures will be involved. Now go," she scooted him out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Mona Rossi watched as her son whispered something in Betty's ear before kissing her on the nose and leading her down the hall. She smiled to herself. He was in love.

--

Pía Rossi stood in the bathroom of her family's house, pacing back and forth with her cell phone in hand. She wasn't going to kid herself any longer: for the past month, her fiancé had been seriously shady. All of a sudden he had some new 'community development project' across town and was never home.

_What the hell kind of bullshit excuse was that anyway?_ she thought angrily.

They'd had their ups and downs over the past year that they'd been dating, but he'd _never_ acted like this before. Well, whatever it was, she was not going to let him embarrass her this close to their wedding. No way. Whatever issues they were having could be fixed _after_ they got married.

A single tear trickled down her cheek as she flipped open her phone and dialed his number for the fifteenth time that night, letting it ring until the familiar voicemail recording once again started playing.

--

Hilda rolled over, her arm brushing against the empty space in bed beside her. She pulled the sheets around her bare body as she sat up and looked at the already-dressed man in front of her. Smiling, she playfully asked, "Where do you think you're going, mister?"

"I've already stayed too long. I really better get going. I'm sorry." He smiled down at her in bed.

"Alright, alright…" Hilda reluctantly stood and fumbled for her clothes on the floor. "Do you wanna get together this weekend? Maybe go to the club?" She tried to remain optimistic.

"This weekend's not too good. We might have to wait until later next week."

"Oh, ok."

Just as Hilda walked into the bathroom in his apartment to fix her hair, his cell phone started vibrating on the nightstand beside the bed. He picked it up and looked grudgingly at the screen: fifteen missed calls in the past hour. He swallowed heavily as reality hit him like a brick wall.

"Even a hair stylist can't do much to fix sex hair!" Hilda laughed, coming back from the bathroom. "Alright Coach, I'm ready!" she said, picking up her purse and car keys.

Tony Diaz walked Hilda to her car before getting in his own and speeding across town to the house of his fiancé's family. He was only a little over an hour late. Hopefully she would forgive him.

--

Betty was surprised at how easy dinner with Gio's family was. Although his relatives were kind of loud and weird, they were all so nice and welcoming to her. Looking around, she started to wonder just how many people he had in his family, anyway. They were like a bunch of rabbits: you turned around and all of a sudden there were more of them. Despite the endless amounts of relatives, the night was going perfectly.

Except for one thing.

Her new lacy La Perla thong was _killing_ her. She didn't even know how she lasted through dinner without ripping it off. She excused herself from the table while everyone was eating dessert and walked to the bathroom. She found it locked.

_Pía's probably in there for another round of phone calls_, she thought.

Betty hesitantly looked up the staircase to the second floor. She knew that there had to be another bathroom up there, but she didn't want to go snooping through the Rossi's house to find it. She stood there, shifting from foot to foot, feeling the stupid thong grow more uncomfortable by the second.

_I can't take it anymore!_ she screamed in her head. She walked up the steps to the second floor finally came to a closed door at the end of the hall. Betty saw a sliver of light shining under the door and heard someone on the other side. She let out a frustrated groan. As if there would actually be an empty bathroom in a houseful of 25 people.

Out of total desperation, Betty finally ducked into a room that seemed to be a spare bedroom. She shut the door and flicked the light switch. As the room flooded with brightness, her eyes scanned the navy blue walls lined with trophies, awards, sports memorabilia, and old pictures. It was Gio's old bedroom.

Betty wandered over to a bookcase and picked up a picture frame sitting on the top shelf. In the middle of the photo was Gio surrounded by the rest of his baseball team, looking short and scrawny as a teenager. She smiled, putting the picture back, and thumbed through the books on the shelf. Horatio Alger, Charles Dickens, John Milton, Orson Welles...

_These have to be here for decoration_, Betty thought. _If Gio actually read these, then that means he's... somewhat intelligent._ She scrunched up her nose, unable to comprehend the thought.

"Hmm, what's this?" Betty asked herself as she leaned down to grab a small black box from the floor. As she moved, the uncomfortable chafing of lace against her skin reminded her why she'd come upstairs to begin with.

"For fifty dollars, this thong really should be a lot more comfortable," she mumbled, reaching under her dress and sliding the scratchy fabric down her legs.

"Betty, are you up here?" Gio's soft voice came from the hallway. Betty snapped to attention and looked around at the mess she'd created. She quickly shoved Gio's books back on the shelf and put the unopened black box back on the floor. Last but not least, she jammed the lacy underwear into her purse just as Gio boldly walked into the room.

"You're supposed to knock before you open closed doors!" she scolded him.

Gio scoffed at her. "Oh come on! This is _my_ old room. I can open the door whenever I want." His brows furrowed as she stood awkwardly front of him. "So... what are you doing in here?"

"Oh, just...taking a stroll!"

"Uh huh. What's that?" He pointed to her bag.

"What's what? I don't know what you're talking about," she screeched.

He deftly reached around her arm and tugged at the white lace that was sticking out of the top of her bag. She quickly smacked his hand away.

"Excuse you! That doesn't belong to you!"

"Yeah, well nothing in this room belongs to you, either, but I bet you went snooping through it!"

"I didn't snoop!"

"Then what are you _doing_ up here?"

Betty narrowed her eyes into little slits and pointed her finger in Gio's face. "Do you have any clue how it feels to be in a strange house wearing really uncomfortable underwear that you just paid fifty dollars for and you can't even find any place to go fix it because there's about a thousand people in the house and only two bathrooms which always seem to be full?!"

Gio stared at her, stunned by her verbal attack. Then he realized what the white lace was that he saw sticking out of her bag. His jaw dropped.

"So if that's in there," he pointed toward her bag, thinking out loud. "Then what's..."

"Shut up, Gio!"

"You know, I had a feeling when I woke up this morning that today would be a good day, but I had no clue I'd be this lucky!"

"I said shut _up_, Gio!!"

He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands moving dangerously low on her back. "I guess I should add panty melter onto my list of talents."

"Ew." Betty shoved him playfully in the chest. "My panties have nothing to do with you."

"That's what you think, Suarez," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her. No sooner did he brush his lips against her own that her cell phone started ringing.

"Ok, I'm starting to think that all of these interruptions are signs that we shouldn't stay alone in the same room together!" She exhaled heavily and flipped open her phone. "Hello? Hey Papí...Yeah...Is he ok for now...? Yeah I think we can do that. Ok..."

Betty threw the phone back into her purse. "Justin's broken leg is giving him problems... He needs more pain medication, but Hilda decided to go out tonight so there's no one around to drive to the pharmacy to get the pills." She looked up at Gio with begging eyes. "Would you--"

"Just let me grab my jacket," he said, already pulling his keys from his pocket. Betty breathed a sigh of relief. He never failed to come to her rescue.

After saying a thousand goodbyes to everyone in his family, Betty and Gio hopped into his van and sped off to the pharmacy. Moments later, Tony Diaz pulled up in front of the house. He hastily checked his hair and face in the mirror. There were no signs of evidence of his affair with Hilda, and he was once again ready to be Pía's fiancé, the man that she knew and loved.


	4. A Brewing Storm

_A/N: A big apology to pretty much everyone for being a bad Getty girl and taking like a thousand years (or rather 4 months, yes 4 months…ughh!) to update... And an extra-big apology to Bead! I'm sorry you used dialup internet from your hotel to check for updates on your vacation wayyyyy back in July! Just an FYI- I'm going to continue this as if season 3 never happened… which probably wouldn't be a bad thing. Thanks for everyone who actually stuck with me!!_

Betty groggily rolled over in bed. It was Friday morning, and since she didn't have to start back at Mode until Monday, she had every intention of sleeping in. Unfortunately, the blaring of her cell phone in her ear had destroyed those plans. She aimlessly felt around the nightstand for her phone and, after finding it, cracked a sleepy eye to see Gio's name on the display. She quickly pulled out her retainer and flipped open the phone.

"It's you," she said in a faint, drowsy voice.

"Were you expecting another handsome, smart, and witty guy to call you?" Gio teased.

"Maybe I was," Betty giggled softly and nestled under her Little Mermaid sheets. She found herself smiling at the sound of his voice. "Sorry... I just wasn't expecting anyone to call at...What time is it anyway?"

"8 a.m.? Yeah, well, I remember you said you don't have to work today, so wake up and get your swimsuit. We're going on a road trip."

Betty opened her eyes in shock. "Swimsuit? What?! Whoa, back up, buddy."

"Come on, B. Just you and me. No family, no work, nothing to bother us. I haven't had you to myself without some sort of interruption since we both got back. This'll be the last chance before you go back to being a Mode girl on Monday. What do ya say?"

Her stomach fluttered. She wasn't thrilled with the idea of running around in a swimsuit in front of Gio. Even more than that, she was petrified of what could happen if he did get her totally alone somewhere. Her willpower around Gio was about as strong as a fat kid's self-control around cake. She raked her brain for excuses to get out of whatever it was that that he had planned.

"I don't know, Gio," she protested. "What if someone from Mode calls and needs me to come in?"

"They've managed to go a whole month without you. They can go another day," he retorted.

"Ok, well... What if Justin's has problems with his leg again?"

"Won't Hilda be there with him today? Come on, Betty, let them take care of themselves for once."

"But what if--"

"Quack!"

"Okay, you win," she grumbled. "So where are we going that I need to bring a swimsuit?"

"Montauk."

_I'd take her out to Montauk, with a bottle of wine, and we'd build a fire and sleep on the beach._

The words that he had spoken months ago came flooding back in her mind. She shivered.

"I'll come get you in an hour, ok?"

"You're bringing wine," she suddenly blurted.

Gio was silent for a second. "How'd you know that? You really are stalking me, aren't you?"

"It was just... something I remembered," she spoke softly. "Anyway, see you in an hour!" Just as she snapped her phone shut, Hilda came barging into the room and stood towering over Betty who was still lying in bed.

"Girl, you're going out with Gio again today!" Before Betty could protest, Hilda pointed a well-manicured finger in her sister's face. "I was listening through the door so don't even lie about it! And you still haven't even told Mama Hilda about what happened last night!"

Betty rolled her eyes. "It was... nice. His family's really nice."

"That's it? It was 'nice?' We went sexy dress shopping so you could have a 'nice' night?" Hilda gave Betty a bewildered look. "Did anything happen? Ooh, spill it!" she squealed naughtily.

"Something might've happened… If Papi hadn't called asking me to go get pain pills for Justin."

"Ay, sorry about that..." Hilda smiled sheepishly and looked away. "I was out with the Coach last night. He's like real busy for the next few days so I wanted to see him while I could, you know?"

Betty looked at her sister. She hadn't seen her glow like this since Santos was alive. "Hilda, it's ok. He sounds like a great guy." She sighed. "Speaking of great guys, someone needs to find Gio's sister one. I felt so bad for that girl last night… Her fiancé didn't even show up on time for the dinner before their wedding. I don't know for sure, but I think I smell a cheater!"

Betty swore she saw a pained look briefly sweep over Hilda's face, but before she could think twice about it, her sister was once again beaming radiantly. "Sounds like Gio's sister needs to get a little scary and show him who's boss! So anyway, where's Gio whisking you off to today?"

"The beach," Betty replied cheerfully.

"Ooh romantic! But if things get steamy, remember to put a towel down so sand doesn't get stuck in places where it shouldn't. Trust me on that, chica," she said with a wink.

"Hilda!" Betty exclaimed in shock.

"What?! Just sayin'…" She smiled and strutted out of the room, leaving Betty more terrified than ever to spend the day alone with the sandwich guy and his pickle.

-----------------------------------------------------

After two and a half hours of driving all the way across Long Island (and listening to Gio give stellar singing performances the whole way), Gio finally turned off the freeway and began to navigate down the tiny streets of Montauk.

"Ooh, look, the ocean!" Betty cried excitedly. Gio glanced over at her as she rolled down the window and stuck her head out into the breeze. He loved the fact that simple things like seeing the ocean could make her so happy. Gio finally came to a stop in front of a tan beachfront house that was so picturesque it looked like it came off the front of a postcard. Betty immediately hopped out of the van and kicked her shoes off, digging her toes into the pebbly sand.

"So what's this?" she asked, pointing to the house in front of them.

"My aunt and uncle's place."

"It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, well they're still back in the city for the weekend, so it'll be quiet for once," Gio said as he reached his hands over his head and pulled off his t-shirt, tossing it back into the van. He was left standing in front of her wearing only red board shorts slung low on his hips. Her eyes swept over bare chest and she felt her heart start to pound. Her suspicions were finally confirmed: He had a serious body tucked away behind that deli apron. And she liked it. A lot. Betty couldn't stop staring as the muscles in his back and arms strained while he leaned into the van and pulled out a basket filled with food and wine. She quickly diverted her eyes as he turned around.

"You want a picture or something, Suarez?" Gio joked with a conceited grin.

"Not really," she shot back. "There wouldn't be much to look at."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Ooh, someone has her panties in a twist today. Oh wait, I forgot! You don't wear your panties long enough for that to happen. They end up in your purse once you get tired of wearing them!"

Betty's jaw dropped at the audacity he had to rub last night's embarrassment in her face. She tried to think of something smart to say back at him, but after a few seconds of stumbling, she gave up and turned on her heel, walking toward the house. "You suck!" she mumbled.

Before she stomped out of reach, Gio quickly hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her back toward him. "You're right, I do suck," he quipped, lowering his head to take her bottom lip between his, gently sipping on her mouth. By the time Gio pulled away for air, Betty didn't even remember that she'd just been mad at him. He smiled down at her now-calm face and took her hand, leading her through the sand and down the beach to a small yellow hut.

"Wait here," he said brightly. Betty stood at the entrance to the little hut until she saw Gio returning with a big blue surfboard tucked under his arm.

"Um, what's that for?" Betty asked, already beginning to panic.

"My ironing board broke and I thought this would be a good replacement," Gio snickered. Betty smacked his shoulder at his sarcasm. "Seriously, B. When I was in Italy, I took a day trip to this amazing beach town near Rome and I met up with a bunch of locals that taught me a little bit about surfing. I just thought it would be fun to share that experience with you. Besides, we could both use the exercise from eating so many sandwiches," he said, poking her in the stomach.

Betty didn't even have time to express her outrage toward his comment, as he had already grabbed hold of her hand and started tugging her toward the water. "Gio, get real. You know from my softball skills that I'm not exactly the athletic type."

"You don't want to feel what it's like to walk on water?"

Betty gave him a cynical look. "I can't even walk on solid ground!"

"Fine. Be scared. See you later!" He dropped the surfboard into ocean and began wading through the breaking waves, leaving Betty standing at the shoreline with the water lapping around her feet.

"Ughhhh! Why do I do this to myself when he's around?" Betty mumbled as she pulled off her cover-up and began to follow Gio into the ocean, knowing full well it was because she secretly liked that he pushed her to try new things. She swam up beside him in a relatively calm part of the water.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Nice of you to join me. Now lay on the board."

"But--"

"Get on the board, Suarez." She squinted her eyes at him as she floundered onto the surfboard, completely self-conscious now that her swimsuit-clad body was in full view. "When I tell you to paddle, I want you to paddle as hard as you can with your arms and then stand up, got it? And keep your eyes open. It's not as intimidating as a softball flying at you, I promise."

"But I'm scared," she said, clutching the board tightly.

Gio's face softened into a tender smile as they bobbed up and down together in the ocean currents. "Do you trust me?" She looked into his eyes and nodded, knowing that she truly did. "Then start paddling…. now!"

Betty began thrashing her arms wildly as a strong wave began to engulf the board. "Now stand!" she heard Gio call over the roar of the ocean. Water was splashing all over her face and she could hardly see. "Trust me, Betty! Stand up!" he yelled again. Before she could think twice, she popped up onto wobbly feet, her arms instinctively going out to her sides to gain balance.

Betty's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm surfing!" she screamed to herself. "I'm surf--" In her excitement, she lost her balance and plummeted into the water. When she surfaced, Gio was standing over her, beaming.

"Did you see what you did out there?! You stood on your first try! I might have a natural on my hands!"

"I did that? I mean, I did that!" she squealed, throwing herself into Gio's arms. He pulled a wet strand of hair away from her face kissed her on the forehead.

"Wanna try it again?"

"Yeah!" she nodded cheerfully, so elated that she didn't even see the dark storm clouds begin to roll in over the ocean. After catching a few more waves, they both came out of the water to rest on the beach. Betty suddenly felt a big splat hit her on the nose and noticed that the temperature had dropped drastically. Before long, rain began pouring from the sky and the echo of thunder cracked in the distance.

"Gio!" Betty wailed in alarm as she jumped to her feet. "We're going to get wet!"

He rolled his eyes in response. "You're already wet, Suarez. You were just in the ocean."

"Oh… right."

Lightening flashed over the ocean and Betty whimpered. "Let's get out of here," he said, grabbing her hand and running toward the beach house. When they finally got inside, Betty was dripping wet and trembling.

"B, what's wrong?" Gio asked, tipping her chin up in concern. Even in her distressed state, Betty had to force herself to look him in the eye instead of following the beads of water that rolled down his olive skin.

"I'm cold…" she stuttered through chattering teeth. Another crack of thunder shook through the house and she squinted her eyes shut. "And I'm kind of scared of thunderstorms."

Gio chuckled as he led her into the living room and grabbed a blanket. He pulled her down onto the sofa with him, wrapping the soft fabric around them both in a way that shielded the lightening from Betty's view. She clutched her arms tightly around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Gio slowly stroked her matted hair until her shaking had subsided.

Suddenly, as if someone flipped a switch inside her head, Betty realized that she was in a deserted house. Under a blanket. Wearing just her swimsuit. With Gio's wet, bare skin pressed against her own. She took in the rapid rise and fall of his chest, his parted lips, and the flush of his skin before slowly raising her eyes to his own. His dark gaze burned into her for what seemed like an eternity, communicating all that needed to be said without uttering a word. It didn't take long before Gio slid a hand behind Betty's neck, eagerly covering her mouth with his. Every sweep of his exploring tongue shook Betty to her core. She returned his gesture by running her hands through his damp hair, softly moaning his name as her skin seared from the powerful emotions already running through her body. She could no longer deny that Gio did things to her physically that no other man ever could.

Gio's hands tenderly traced the contours of Betty's face as he deepened his kiss. He maneuvered her body so that she was laying under him on the sofa and gently lowered himself on top of her. She let out a soft gasp, feeling how rigid he was pressed against her damp skin. Betty skimmed her fingers up and down his back, his muscles flexing in response to her touch. Gio's breath was already coming in short, shallow gasps which only seemed to worsen when Betty decided to lift one of her bare legs around his hips, encircling him. He reached back and ran a hand up her leg to explore the soft skin from ankle to thigh. He could feel her writhing beneath him as she pulsed intuitively into his rigid core in a slow rhythm.

"Betty," he whispered against her mouth. She looked up at him with shadowed eyes, the sound of the pounding rain and rolling thunder the only noise in the room. He held her gaze as he gently explored the mound of her breasts through the thin fabric of her swimsuit. Gio lowered his head and buried his face in the dip of her neck, breathing in the scent of the beautiful woman underneath him. Betty, who had no willpower left, arched back in pleasure and rubbed herself against the length of him. Daringly, she slid a hand between their bodies to loosen the string holding his board shorts closed.

Suddenly Gio drew back with a pained look on his face, coming to the realization of what was about to happen. He cursed under his breath and untangled himself from their embrace. "I can't do this," he mumbled, shaking his head.

Betty's eyes fluttered open in hurtful confusion. "What?"

Gio released a grave sigh and stood up. He rubbed his palms roughly across his face and let out another curse, struggling to calm the frustration that was searing through his body. "I can't do this, Betty. It's just… not right."

"What do you mean? Was I… Did I do something wrong?" she choked out. Gio turned to look at her still laying on the sofa, a tear streaming down her cheek. He would never forgive himself for being such a reckless bastard and letting the situation get to this point. He quickly kneeled down in front of her on the floor and took her hands in his.

"No, don't ever think that. God, Betty, I've wanted this for so long. Things with you are… different… special…. And for once I want to do this right. I want it to be perfect. And hooking up on the sofa in my aunt and uncle's beach house where I used to spend my childhood vacations isn't how I want to remember my first time with you."

"Oh," she said simply, quietly shocked that Gio was putting so much thought and emotion into what would be their first time together.

Gio glanced at the window and noticed that the storm had moved on. "Why don't we start the drive back to the city? If you're lucky, I'll even sing you some 80's classics."

Betty grinned at him, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. "Make it Bon Jovi and we've got a deal."

"You got it." He paused and looked at her sheepishly. "Betty? I'm sorry."

She placed a hand on his chest. "It's ok, Gio. I know." And she did know. Betty felt that no matter what happened between them, no matter what life threw their way, they had something special. Nothing could take that away.

Or so it seemed.

-----------------------------------------------------

Gio and Betty parked in front of a convenience store in Brooklyn. On their ride home from Montauk, she'd found out that he had never eaten a Choco Taco ice cream sandwich and was determined to find one for him to try. Gio, who was being dragged down the sidewalk by Betty, suddenly stopped as he saw a familiar dark-haired woman walking arm-in-arm with an unfamiliar man directly toward him.

"Pia!" he called to his sister.

Pia Rossi smiled and approached Gio and Betty, pulling along the unknown man beside her. "Hey, little brother. Hi, Betty. Nice to see you again. You know, I really should apologize to you for my behavior the other night. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk more when you came over for dinner."

"Yeah, about that," Gio started before Betty could respond, already defensive about this man standing in front of him who must be Pia's sorry excuse for a fiancé. Gio took an intimidating step toward him. "You must be the guy who couldn't be bothered to show up on time to dinner last night. Maybe you should be warned that I don't take kindly to people who make my sister upset. Especially the guy who she's going to marry," he spat at the man.

"Gio!" Pia quietly hissed in embarrassment.

"It's ok," the man smiled tensely at Pia. "I think I deserve that and probably a lot more. But hear me out, please. I just started a community project up near Harlem, a big-brother big-sister program for some kids that don't have the best families, you know? Last night I got a call that one of the kids got pretty beat up in a fight, so I drove up to make sure everything was ok. I still feel absolutely horrible for being late, but I didn't have any other options. I'm Tony Diaz, by the way. It's nice to finally meet you." The man held out his hand to Gio who looked at it suspiciously.

Gio finally accepted Tony's handshake and Pia noticeably relaxed. "Tony, this is obviously my overly-protective brother, Gio, and his girlfriend, Betty."

Betty felt her cheeks burn crimson at the term 'girlfriend' but managed to compose herself long enough to shake hands with Tony.

"Well hey," Tony started. "It was great meeting you both, but unfortunately we have to run. We're finishing some last-minute wedding errands and then I've got to drop by the middle school and fill out some accident reports. I teach P.E. down there and one of my cheerleaders fell and broke his leg the other day. Poor guy."

"What a coincidence!" Betty chirped. "My nephew Justin broke his leg in cheerleading the other day. We tried to tell him not to climb onto a pile of girls but you know kids now days…"

"Wait, did you say Justin? Yeah, that's my student!" He nodded. "You said he was your… nephew?" A look of sheer terror suddenly spread over Tony Diaz's face.

"Yep! Oh, wow! Then that makes you the Coach!" Betty's polite smile began to fade the moment the words rolled from her lips. She looked at him incredulously. "You're… _the Coach_," she repeated cautiously. Betty felt like she was suffocating as she started putting the puzzle pieces together in her mind. Her eyes darted frantically back and forth between the Coach and Pia Rossi.

Tony Diaz's eyes smoldered into Betty's. She knew who he was. Of _all people_ for his fiancé's brother to be dating. His luck seriously couldn't get any worse. His eyes widened, silently pleading Betty with all his might not to utter a word about Hilda. Justin's mother, Hilda. Betty's sister, Hilda. His secret lover, Hilda. It was too much for him to bear.

"You guys know each other or something?" Gio asked.

Betty stood motionless.

"Betty, are you ok?" Pia Rossi smiled. "You look like you just saw a ghost!" She lovingly wrapped an arm around Tony Diaz's waist.

"I… I need to go home, Gio. Now. Please." Betty immediately spun on her heel and headed toward Gio's van before she made the decision to jump the Coach and start ripping him apart piece by piece.

"Uh, sorry." Gio apologized for Betty's abrupt exit. "We had a long day. She must be tired." He stuck his hand out and firmly shook Tony Diaz's hand. "Nice to finally meet you. I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon." Maybe he was wrong about Pia's fiancé. Tony Diaz seemed like a nice enough guy. He grinned at his sister. "Try not to be too much of a bridezilla, ok? I'll see you guys tonight back at Mama's house." Gio walked back to his van and slid behind the wheel, staring at a sullen-looking Betty. He had no clue what to make of her sudden attitude change.

"Care to tell me what that was about?"

Betty's lip quivered. "Just… please take me home, Gio."

"You can't just not tell me what--"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I need to go home."

"Fine. If that's what you want." He steered the van toward her Jackson heights neighborhood.

Neither spoke another word.


End file.
